The COVID-19 vaccines may not be perfect. You can still get sick even after all your shots have been administered.Because their bodies have strengthened their defenses, a person who has been vaccinated will probably be less ill.Vaccines can be compared to seatbelts in that they save lives but don't prevent accidents.Insider Healthcare: The latest news and analysis in healthcare. Loading Click Sign up to receive marketing emails and other offers from Insider.Vaccines offer a strong advantage in disease fighting. Vaccines don't protect you from infection.Experts say that COVID-19 vaccines are like driving a car in a partially vaccinated environment. Although there are safety precautions in place like seatbelts and airbags as well as traffic lights, driving can still pose a risk, especially during the stormy Delta surge.Humans are not naturally able to assess risk. If you don't see the threat, it's difficult to keep your guard up. Public health professionals love analogies.During a Q&A session, Barney Graham, an immunologist and deputy director of National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center, stated that vaccines are not magic. They create a spectrum immunity that people must understand. Then people will take a range of risks.These risks increase if people are not vaccinated. More than half of Americans are.You don't have to wear a seatbelt if you want to see the road.While seatbelts can protect you from serious injury in the event of an accident, they cannot prevent car accidents. The COVID-19 vaccines are also approved. They have a great track record for preventing severe illnesses.Graham stated that these vaccines are not intended to prevent infection. They were created to protect your airway from severe diseases.Federal records indicate that vaccinations will keep you out the hospital for over 99% of the times. However, you could still become infected if exposed to someone with the virus.You must remember to look straight ahead, especially when the terrain changes.Navigating the Delta variant wave right now is like driving down a steep road filled with potholes. It's easier to get the virus than it is to transmit. This means that not wearing a seatbelt can be dangerous, even if your family members and friends are already vaccinated.It is important to monitor local case numbers and to take precautions to avoid high-risk events.Getting vaccinated can be like obeying traffic rules. It is a life-saving system that we must all participate in.Healthcare workers depend on others to get vaccinated so that their hospitals don't overflow. John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesOnly half of the US population is fully immunized. This is the main reason we are seeing new surges of highly transmissible variants.It would be chaotic if half the cars didn't obey stoplights. Even if you followed the rules, it would be more likely that you get into an accident.This is what we are seeing with more people getting COVID-19 following vaccination. There's more COVID-19 being transmitted from one person to another without a strong immune defense, which means that there are more chances of meeting someone with the disease.(But, most recent COVID-19-related infections, particularly the most serious ones that land patients in hospital, are found among people who have not been vaccinated.You can help other drivers by following the rules of road.Hilary Young (right), and her 6-year old daughter, both tested positive for COVID-19. Young is fully vaccinated. Hilary YoungDelta is a constant threat to your safety, so extra precautions like additional masks are necessary.While you might be okay in an accident if your seatbelt is on, you can injure others if they aren't.Over 80% of Americans 65 and older are now fully vaccinated. They can't manage this disease on their own."When you reach the elderly, especially those over 80 years old, you will find some breakthrough cases," Dr. Catherine O'Neal (chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge), recently stated to CNN. The hospital is now overrun by COVID-19 patients.Overwhelmingly, people who have been fully vaccinated but end up in hospital or dying are older. Immunocompromised patients such as cancer patients or organ recipients don't receive the same immune-boosting benefits that other people do.Children under 12 years old, who are not eligible for vaccines, are being admitted to hospital at higher rates. They don't have extra safety protections like a car seat (vaccine), a mask mandate or an airbag (mask mandate) to protect them from a rare COVID-19 Delta crash.These groups are dependent on the rest to get vaccinated. With the more transmittable Delta variant of the virus dominating, it is imperative that everyone wear masks indoors, as emerging data suggests that vaccinated individuals can also spread the virus.The virus is an evolving target and may cause changes in the road rules.On July 10, 2020, a sign was placed in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Zach Roberts/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesCruise control is not an option. We are now in a new territory of infectious diseases.This pandemic is affecting the way we view vaccines. This disease will continue to thrive and spread if we don't get enough vaccines. It could lead to new strains that could be even more dangerous for our survival.It is likely that we will need to create a better licensing system and ticketing system to ensure road safety during the pandemic. It is safe to get vaccinated while you wait.
